Breath of Life
by notdonewithyou
Summary: Tumblr Prompt for Captain Swan Saturdays: Neverland Adventures. Hook and Emma come to Neverland to find Henry. Hook is still trying to earn Emma's trust, and he hopes that this will do it.


They'd been walking for hours. The portal had brought them to the wrong side of Neverland, and when they'd docked, Hook advised that the best place for them to go was to the Lost Boys' home. If Henry had been smart—which he was—he would go straight to the only people on the island he could trust. The Lost Boys knew Neverland as well as he did, and Hook was sure Henry knew that. It was now just a matter of getting there.

"Hook, I'm pretty sure we've passed this patch of trees five times," Emma piped up from behind him. It was the first thing said between the two since they'd entered the forest.

"Darling, we're in a forest. The trees are going to look very similar." Hook stopped walking, turning around toward her. "Would it make you happy if I started marking the trees with my hook?" When she didn't answer, he continued. "I know Neverland as well as I know my ship. We're nearly there."

She pushed past him, knowing the faster they moved, the faster they'd find Henry. "I'll believe that when I see it."

He caught her wrist before she got too far away. "Darling, I think it's about time you started trusting me."

"I trust you about as far as I can throw you." She pulled her arm from his grip. "Now, let's go."

Hook shook his head before continuing ahead of her. He was willing to put up with her attitude toward him if this is what it took to earn her trust. He'd seen her devotion to her son in the Enchanted Forest, and after the initial shock of her betrayal, he could see Milah in her—not that he couldn't see her before. But the look in her eyes of not wanting to leave her son behind shook him. Leaving Baelfire was the biggest regret Milah had, and Hook would be damned if he let another mother lose her child.

They walked into a clearing, and in front of them stood a large tree. Hook took a deep breath upon seeing the structure. It had been many years since he'd been to this place. It was a part of him he'd left behind, but for Emma and her son, he found himself willing to come back to it.

Hook turned to Emma as she stepped up next to him. "I give you the home of the Lost Boys."

Emma gave a grimace at the tree. "It looks pretty dingy for a home."

He leaned down, smirking a bit, before walking up to it, looking for the secret spot that would open up the entrance. When his hand hit the spot, a piece of bark shot open to reveal a hole. "That's because the rest is underground, love."

Hook walked over to the hole and pulled himself inside before offering his hand to Emma and pulling her in with him. They walked down the small wooden staircase inside, Hook ahead of her, prepared for the mayhem that would ensue when the boys saw him in their home. They hadn't parted on good terms.

But when they reached the bottom, they weren't met with boys at all. The entire place was empty and cleaned out. Emma stood in disbelief at the bottom of the stairs, looking around the empty place. She sat down on the bottom step as Hook walked around the room, looking for any sign of what might've happened.

"Hook, where are they?" Emma's voice came as calm as she could make it at the moment.

"I don't know…"

Emma stood quickly, marching over to him, making him face her. "What do you mean you don't know? You said he'd be here, and it looks like this place has been cleaned out for a while!"

"That's because it has been empty for a while," came a voice from behind them.

They both jumped, Hook pushing Emma behind him, hook poised for attack before he realized who it was. He dropped his stance, staring at the fairy that stood in front of them.

"Tinkerbell. Where are the Lost Boys?" Hook asked, skipping the niceties.

Emma stared between the two for a second. "Wait… Tinkerbell?" She looked the woman up and down, surprise taking over. "But you're so-"

Tinkerbell rolled her eyes, cutting Emma off. "So big. Yeah I get that a lot." She turned her attention to Hook. "Why does everyone think I'm supposed to be small?"

"I've no bloody clue. Now, where are the boys?" He had no time to deal with the fairy today.

"Why should I tell you after all that's happened? I don't think they'd be very happy if I led you to their new hideout. I'm not even allowed to tell _Wendy_." She gave him a pointed look. "That's when they left, after you let her go."

Emma saw Hook's gaze drop to the floor for a second before he put his tough face back on. "Well where are they now? The information would be a bit useful, Tink."

She crossed her arms over her chest, not wavering. "Can't help you, Captain."

Emma stepped forward, pushing past Hook. "Please. My son, Henry, might be with them. He came to Neverland, and I need to get him back." The desperation started to leak into her face and voice. "Please. Any help finding him is better than none."

Tinkerbell's gaze softened as she heard the tone of Emma's voice. "There was a new boy with them. They found him on the beach and took him in. That was maybe four days ago." Tinkerbell paused. "Why did he come to Neverland if he has you?"

Emma sighed, sitting on one of the abandoned beds. "He thought he was ripping the family apart. His father… His father died right in front of him, saving his life and Henry was so sure it was his fault… He thought we'd be better off without him so he escaped… I can't just leave him here. I need him."

Tinkerbell closed her eyes, debating on what to do next. She could see the sadness and desperation in Emma and could easily see the love for her son. She let out a heavy sigh. "They moved to the other side of the island, not far from the Indian village. You'll have to take the long way around though."

"Why?"

"Because the short way goes by Pixie Hollow," came Hook's voice from behind her. "And I take it they're still not happy with me."

Tinkerbell scoffed. "No. They still want your head. So," she turned to Emma, "unless you want your Neverland guide to die, I'd take the long way around." Tinkerbell turned around, starting back up the stairs. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got go. I was sent to find out why another portal opened up, followed you two all the way here." She looked back over her shoulder. "Don't worry. I won't tell them you're here, Hook."

As soon as Tinkerbell left, Emma stood up. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go and find him."

Hook shook his head. "We know he's safe, and we've already been walking for hours. We'll rest here for the night and start fresh in the morning."

Emma hadn't even realized how tired she was before he talked about resting. He was right, though. She knew Henry was with the Lost Boys and was safe. She sighed heavily. "You're right…"

They each took a bed, and though they were too small, it was better than sleeping on the floor of tree trunk. Emma was restless, sleep unable to find her, thinking about Henry in this strange land with new people. She'd never expected when he found her in Boston that she'd become this. She never thought motherhood was in the cards for her, but here she was, traversing a new land all because of the sheer love she felt for her son. The more she thought about him, the more it worried her, and she needed something to take her mind off of him for a minute.

"Hook? Are you awake?" Their backs were turned to one another, and she hoped that sleep was eluding him as well.

She heard him roll over in his bed. "Aye. What is it, lass?"

She rolled over to face him, and she saw his hook lying on the floor next to the bed. She hadn't even heard him take it off, and it was odd, seeing him like that. It was his piece of armor, and now he was lying there, bare to her. "What happened?" she asked, suddenly wanting to know. Maybe if he was willing to share, she could convince herself to trust him, like she knew she wanted to. "What happened the last time you were here?"

Hook closed his eyes, not having thought about what had gone down the last time he was here in a very long time. "The last time I was here, I was searching for a way to kill Rumplestiltskin."

Emma waited for a minute for him to keep talking, but he didn't. "Is that it? Is that all I'm gonna get?"

Hook scoffed. "Says the woman whose emotional armor is at least four feet thick."

"Hey, I told you about Neal on the way here."

"After I pried it out of you. Don't deny it, _princess_. You're just as damaged as I."

Emma stopped. She knew they'd both been hurt in the past. It was that past that drew them to each other, even when they didn't want it. "Maybe that's why we get each other so well…" she mumbled.

Hook sighed. He was already jumping through hoops to gain her trust. "I'm not a good man, Emma." Maybe he'd jump through a few more. "Last time I was here, I was hoping to find a way to kill the Crocodile. I wasn't sure how I'd do it, but I knew it was a place to bide my time. I didn't even realize Baelfire was here until after he'd already left, otherwise I would've used the boy to my advantage."

"What happened with Wendy?"

"Wendy's a smart little lass. She left Neverland a long time ago but came back after tragedy struck her family. She brought her brothers with her as well."

"And they're all still here?"

"As far as I know. Their parents are gone, and they've nothing waiting for them in your world anymore." Hook closed his eyes. "But, as I said, Wendy's smart. Very well versed in the books. I thought if anyone might've come across a way to kill Rumplestiltskin, it would've been her. I knew she wouldn't come willingly. She was completely disgusted with who I was. So, I kidnapped her."

"Well that's a bit harsh," Emma commented.

"Do you want this story, lass, or don't you? You're lucky I'm in a sharing mood." He waited for Emma to acknowledge him, and when she did, he continued. "At first, she refused to tell me anything, which I didn't take too kindly to. So, while she was captive on the ship, I told the Lost Boys that she'd come to me willingly and wanted nothing to do with them anymore." Hook rolled onto his back and looked up to the ceiling, not wanting to look Emma in the eyes any longer. "She eventually told me of the dagger that would end the Crocodile's life, and I let her go. But the Lost Boys, her brothers included, already hated her. I guess they left so she wouldn't be able to find them. I left not long after finding out the information of the dagger. She didn't know where it was—only he and whomever he trusted would—so I left to find someone else who could help."

Emma had listened intently throughout the entire story, and she saw something she hadn't even been sure he'd been able to feel. Guilt. He talked about Wendy like she was important to him, and that wasn't the Captain Hook she'd grown up learning about. He was still full of surprises. "Maybe you could fix it when we get over to their home."

"They've hated her for well over 50 years now, Emma. And they hate me. I highly doubt anything I say will change that." He rolled once again, his back to her once more. "Besides, this trip is to find your son, not for me to make amends. We have a long journey tomorrow. So, get some sleep, love."

Emma laid there, staring at his back for a little while longer. He'd gone from open and honest to closed off again just like that. Another way they were so similar that it scared her. The guilt in his eyes over the story still sat in her mind as her eyes started to droop and sleep took over.

They were halfway across the island, not having said much the entire time. Hook had woken up before sunrise, gathering a few plants for them to eat before starting their trek again. He knew with taking the long way around, they'd arrive after sunset, so it was best to at least have some food. She'd been shocked when he gently roused her from sleep and made sure she ate her portion of the food. The walk through the rest of the forest hadn't been too bad, but now, they were coming up on Mermaid Lagoon, and Hook made sure to warn her of the creatures.

"Whatever you think you know about mermaids, I can tell you that they're vicious and horrid and gods, can they talk your ear off. Even I hated dealing with them, and they like me. Now, watch your step." He started walking on the cliff that overlooked the lagoon, and she followed, both keeping close to the wall of rock and away from the ledge. He looked back at her for a second before continuing walking. "You know I noticed something."

"And what's that, Hook?" she asked, not caring, trying to focus.

"Your necklace. You don't wear it anymore," he said sparing her another glance. "Why'd you get rid of it?"

Emma stopped walking, having almost forgotten that Neal's keychain wasn't dangling around her neck anymore. She looked up to see that he'd stopped walking, too. "I…um… I didn't need it anymore."

They started walking again, but suddenly, there was a loud crack below her feet and Emma was falling. The rocks on the ledge had cracked under his weight, and, when she stepped on them, it was too much and they gave way. Emma tried to grab at the rock face for anything, but was unsuccessful, and she heard Hook yell for her before hitting the water.

Almost immediately, the mermaids were upon her, pulling her away from the surface. She did her best to punch and kick at them, but the water slowed her down and there were too many of them for her herself to fight them off. They kept pulling her farther below the surface, and her vision began to get cloudy around the edges. She continued doing her best to scratch and claw at the mermaids but to no avail. The last thing she heard was a distant splash before everything went dark.

Water escaped from her lungs as she coughed violently, almost head-butting Hook in the process. He pulled her up as she coughed, patting her on the back and smoothing her hair down.

"There's a good lass. Get it all out." He continued to pat her on the back as she coughed up the water in her lungs. "You're very lucky I was with you or the mermaids would've torn you apart after they drowned you."

Emma coughed a bit more. "You weren't lying about them being vicious."

He moved the hair from her face behind her ear. "I haven't lied to you, yet, have I?" _Well I have twice._

She gulped, registering the closeness between them. He'd just saved her life, when he didn't even have to. He'd done it time and time again. _I risked my own safety to bring you here. Why do this to me now? _Because she couldn't trust. Because she was still _learning_ to trust when they met. She hadn't even realized how much progress she'd made on the trust front until now. She'd trusted Hook to help her bring her son back from Neverland. She'd trusted him enough for him to lead her across an island that she knew little about.

She took him by surprise when she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his midsection. He sat there, immobile for a few seconds, before wrapping his arms around her as well. "Thank you, Hook. For everything." It was then that what happened really hit her, and she leaned back to look at him, quirking her eyebrow up. "Did you give me mouth to mouth?"

He couldn't help the grin that spread across his face, scratching the back of his neck. "Aye. Not exactly how I imagined a kiss between us might go down, but-"

Emma leaned forward, cutting him off with her lips. It was a short, chaste kiss, but it was enough to convey everything that had been building between them for the time being. Her main goal was still to find Henry, and there wasn't enough time to go into what was between them right now.

She pulled back, a small smile ghosting both of their faces. "I think that'll suffice for now."

He swallowed hard, getting himself under control before speaking. "Yes. I think it will. Now," he held out his hand to her, and he remembered the beanstalk and how far they'd come since then. He didn't fear holding it out to her anymore. He knew she'd take it, and she did, and this time, wouldn't let go. "Let's go find your son."


End file.
